


Ripper Street Cafe Mini: Day at the Parade

by literati42



Series: Ripper Street Cafe [2]
Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Bisexual Malcolm Bright, F/F, Fluff, Found Family, Gil is just a really proud dad, Lesbian Dani Powell, M/M, Malcolm Bright Gets a Hug, PSTPrideBingo, Pansexual Nico Stavros, Poly Edrisa Tanaka, queer pride, the most fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:41:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 934
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24992482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literati42/pseuds/literati42
Summary: For Prodigal Son Trash Pride Bingo Prompt: Pride ParadeThe crew of Ripper Street Cafe set up a booth for the Pride Parade and reflect on the family they've formed.Set between Ripper Street Cafe 1 and 2.
Series: Ripper Street Cafe [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1796341
Comments: 11
Kudos: 44
Collections: Prodigal Son Pride Bingo





	Ripper Street Cafe Mini: Day at the Parade

**Author's Note:**

> This is just shameless Pride fluff! It's fluffy! PREPARE FOR FLUFF
> 
> As always, come join me on twitter @themythofpsyche or on tumblr @literati42
> 
> Right now I am doing a special event related to my fics, please check it out here:  
> https://literati42.tumblr.com/post/621471260850995200/want-to-know-more-about-me-as-a-fanfic-writer
> 
> And I hope you join in with the Prodigal Son Trash Pride Bingo event running to July 26!

“Mal, if you glance at the door one more time, you’re going to end up with Edrisa’s brush right in your eye,” Nico said, shaking his head. Bright jerked his face forward again.

“I was just,” Malcolm started as Edrisa dusted color across his eyelids.

“We know what you were doing,” Nico said, “You were looking for former detective hot stuff.”

“Don’t tease,” Edrisa said, waving the makeup brush at Nico as if to shoo away a fly before returning to working on Bright’s face. “Clearly, Mal is in pain.” Then she tilted his chin up and looked directly into his eyes. “But JT said he would call, and pining is for other days.” She smiled softly, “Today is for celebrating.” A smile spread slowly across Malcolm’s face.

“It is,” he replied.

“That’s right,” she said, “Now. Done.” She grabbed her hand mirror and held it up for him to see. Bright’s eyelids were streaked with pink, purple, and blue like the bisexual flag was waving across his face. She had also brushed across his face with glitter that made him look like a galaxy. “You like it?”

Bright felt a prick of tears in his eyes. He leaned forward, pulling her into his arms. “I love it,” he said into her shoulder.

“Stop! You’ll mess up the makeup,” Edrisa said, like she did not want him to stop at all. He laughed, letting her go and looking at his friends—his family. Nico had done his own design, the pansexual flag in the shape of a heart on his cheekbone. Edrisa’s design on herself was the real showpiece. She looked like a polyamorous princess, the colors bursting across her face. Edrisa reached out, grabbing both of her boys and hugging them to her. “I am so proud of us.”

“Me too,” Bright said, and he meant it. On his darkest days, he could never imagine how one day he would find this little shop. He could never imagine being this safe.

“We’ve made a home for ourselves,” Edrisa said as if she was reading his mind, “Now, let’s make sure everyone out there knows they can find a home here too.”

In a matter of moments, and a swirl of rainbow decorations filling their arms, they swept out onto the street. Together, they created a booth outside of Ripper Street Café that had the same creepy beating heart of their weird little home, but was bursting to the seams with rainbows and flags for identities.

“Are you sure it should be this…macabre?” asked the voice of Dani Powell, as she walked across the street to join them. She was wearing her usual jeans and black shirt, but today it said Love is Love across her chest. She might not have been as loud as the three of them, but she radiated how confident she was in her skin, and that was more than enough.

“Creepy goth baby gays need love too,” Edrisa said. “All ways welcome, Dani.” She pointed to the banner above their heads. All Ways Welcome at Ripper Street (Just no murderers please), the sign said. Dani shook her head, but there was a fond smile on her face.

“Can I help?”

“Are you sure you don’t want to join the festivities?” Edrisa asked. Dani gave a casual shrug and came over to stand beside her.

“I’d rather be here.”

Bright met Nico’s eyes when the two women were not looking, raising his eyebrow. Nico answered him with a shrug. Then Edrisa filled Dani’s arms with flyers for their Drag Night event. “Go forth and be charming!”

Dani gave one of her quiet laughs, “I’ll try.”

“You won’t have any problem with it, no one is charming like you.” Edrisa stopped herself, “Except of course you, Bright.” She turned to him, then shook her head.

“What have I missed?” Gil’s rumble of a voice brought an instant smile to Bright’s face.

“Edrisa just confused herself by saying someone was better than Mal,” Nico replied, his voice a reasonable enough whisper to allow Edrisa to at least pretend she had not heard.

Gil laughed, “Well, I am sorry I missed that.” He came over and cupped the back of Malcolm’s neck. “Hey, kid.”

Bright smiled up at him, “Hey.”

Gil had been coming to Pride with him since Malcolm was fourteen, and he first told his surrogate father that he might like boys. No matter what happened or how busy work became, Gil never missed one after that day.

Gil seemed to read the nostalgia off his face and pulled him in for a hug. “I’m proud of you, Malcolm.” He never missed saying those words either. Bright allowed the security to fill him for a moment before he pulled back. “Alright, Edrisa,” Gil said, “Put me to work.”

Edrisa swooped over and put a rainbow boa around Gil’s neck, “You can help with flyers.” Then she offered him a pin that said, “Free Dad Hugs.” He gently handed the boa back, but he put the pin on his lapel.

The parade started then, a sea of colorful clothes and faces full of joy and defiance. Bright pulled back from the action for a moment to observe the world go by him, and observe the little world around him. He thought how once Gil had saved his life. How after that Nico saved it again. Then how Edrisa came in and built him a home. Surrounded by a city-wide swirl of acceptance and love, and surrounded by those who loved him specifically, he knew there was nowhere he would rather be.

**Author's Note:**

> If you have questions related to your sexuality/gender identity or need support, please check out:  
> https://www.thetrevorproject.org/  
>  or  
> https://www.thetrevorproject.org/


End file.
